


Back in Ba Sing Se

by memoirenoire



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, F/M, Romance, Sexual Tension
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-05-19
Updated: 2014-09-29
Packaged: 2018-01-25 18:33:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1658294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/memoirenoire/pseuds/memoirenoire
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katara is the only member of the Gaang who stayed back in Ba Sing Se to help the Earth King prepare for the invasion during the day of the Black anwhile in the very same city, the fromer Prince of the Fire Nation is hoping for a fresh start.What happens when Azula takes over the city and Katara has to hide in her (former?)enemy's house?Zutara(lemons will follow soon!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Careful What You Wish For

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attemp to write ff. Reviews are more than welcome!  
> And... no I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender. If I did, it would certainly not be considered a thing for kids to watch.

Katara woke up in the middle of the night, her whole body still trembling,trying to recover from her scarily vivid nightmare. Not again, she thought. It started since her brother and friends left from Ba Sing Se. Each night, the same terrifying images would torment her sanity, leaving her sleepless at times when she needed to be as awake as possible.  
She knew that they were not safe. Even in Ba Sing Se, it was possible for their enemies to find them. Especially, when their enemies were the two spoiled children of an insane Fire lord. Zuko and his terrifying sister, Azula. Not to mention her two other friends, the one with the knives and the chi blocker. It was a matter of time that they would capture them and Katara knew it.  
At least they would have trouble finding the others, that was for sure. Aang was away, trying to learn more about his chakras, Sokka was helping their father and Toph had finally decided to communicate with her parents. As for herself, Katara did not worry that much. She was a skilled water bender, incredibly skilled for her age, and she was the Earth King's protégé. Everyday she would meet with the most important and powerful men in the earth kingdom and although they would all at first underestimate because of her age, and sex probably, eventually she succeeded in gaining their trust.  
However, her days in Ba sing se were actually… boring. She didn't know when the others would return and although patience was one of her virtues, she had grown tired of waiting. Everyday, the same meetings with the same people, with her endless tries to prove king Kuei that the danger of another attack from the Fire Nation was still there. She was of course grateful for he let her stay in the palace, but that wasn't enough for her. Sometimes, she caught herself regretting her choice of staying behind and keeping track of the preparations for the invasion.  
"I must be crazy" she signed. A few days before, she would beg for this security and serenity. But right now, here she was, begging for something interesting (bad?) to happen.  
"I can t have this anymore. I need to get out. There must be something more interesting in the city." She thought.  
…  
It has been a couple of days since Zuko recovered from his unknown illness and he definitely felt better about everything that happened. He was officially now, a banished and unwanted prince from the most hated Nation in history, he was betrayed by his own sister and he had to live in the shadows with the fear of someone recognizing him. Ba sing se was definitely a good hideout, but he knew he wouldn't tolerate it for much longer. Especially, when he knew that his ticket to home was still in that very city. The Avatar.  
Zuko was still wondering how he could let his flying bison escape, but again, his uncle was right. A sky bison is not exactly the kind of pet that you can hide in your apartment. Particurarly, in that specific apartment where he was living with his uncle.  
The tea shop his uncle owned was doing well. Great, in fact. Zuko decided to give his new lifestyle another chance. He owed it to his uncle. And to himself, most importantly. It wasn't going to be easy, that he knew. Not after being the Crown prince of the most powerful Nation. Not after you have been intoxicated with the sweetness of wealth and power. In fact, the odds were not in his favor.  
The Avatar was, apparently, also in Ba Sing Se and Zuko was known of his lack of self control. What if he ran into him someday? Was he going to preserve his decisiveness on keeping a low profile and starting a new life? That he didn't, couldn't know himself.  
It was past noon and the shop was already full of customers waiting to enjoy their tea. Zuko was not really enjoying his new job but he knew that his uncle was happy to see him occupying himself with something else than chasing a twelve year old boy and his friends. It was healthier. And then, there was Jin.  
He had a good time with her, for sure. And, even after he turned her down, she kept coming to the shop (the new one they opened in the Upper Ring now) just to steal a few glances of him, or maybe ask him how he was doing. The whole thing had surprised, if not shocked him. How could someone be so concerned and kind to someone like him? He was a scarred, spoiled if not annoying teenager, with no honor or kindness in him. At least, that's what he thought of himself. "I have to make things right with her too. She didn't deserve that" he thought to himself.  
-Nephew, could you serve this to the front table? These men are getting impatient, and from the looks of it, they have to be working for the King. We should not lose the opportunity of making a good impression to royalty.  
His uncle cut him from his thoughts.  
\- Yes, uncle. You are right.  
He said trying to sound as cheered and excited as he could. He took the tray from his uncle hands and headed the table where the Earth Kingdom Generals where sitting. They were four of them. Two of them were regulars to their tea shop. They would come everyday at this time, still wearing their uniforms.  
\- Here is your tea. Enjoy!  
\- Thank you, young man. Don't forget to praise your uncle for the delicious tea he offers us everyday.  
One of them said raising his cup.  
\- It is an honor, sir.  
Zuko couldn't help but smirk. Fools. Just now they are drinking tea from the hands of the man who tried to invade their city not many years ago. But wasn't that the irony? Bah Sing Se was the major obstacle for the Fire Nation to claim victory against the EarthKingdom. And here he was, the son of the Fire Lord serving tea to Earth Kindgom Generals.  
\- So, how is that waterbender girl? The friend of the Avatar who stayed in the city? One of the generals asked.  
That was enough to make Zuko still.  
\- I heard she is staying in the palace as a protégé of the King while he is away. Did he really leave her here to prepare the war?  
\- How do know all of these? This information is top secret! The other one seemed worried.  
"Can that really be her?" Zuko couldn't stop wondering. "And what about the war they are talking about? I thought the Dai Li try to keep everyone in the dark about it."  
\- Come on! They were going to find out soon. She attended today's meeting as well. Didn't seem to understand many things though. You know, such things must be hard for a girl to understand.  
They all burst into laughter. Just how ignorant could they be? Zuko thought. Had they ever seen her fight? Obviously not, since that would be enough to make every single one of them fear for their own lives if she had heard them.  
\- Hey, boy. Why are you still here? Don't you have any other customers to serve?  
The taller General asked Zuko, voice full of undeniable annoyance and suspicion.  
\- Sorry Sir. I must have spaced out!  
Zuko tried to smile stupidly, bowed and left before he raised any other suspicion.  
\- You think he heard anything? The younger one asked.  
\- So? What if he did? He is just a tea shop waiter! What can he possibly do? The taller one replied, shipping his tea with noise.  
Idiots, Zuko mused to himself. But they were right. There was nothing he could do. He had decided to live a normal life away from the Fire Nation, his father and… trouble. And it was, trouble itself stepping on to his new lifetime decisions. This couldn't get any worse.  
…...  
After a few hours of roaming in the city, Katara came across the new tea shop that just opened in the upper district of the city. She heard a vast of praises from the Generals for that shop and after not much thought she decided that she could use a cup of tea. She had a few Yuan on her after all and Bah Sing Seh' s hustle and bustle had really tired her out.  
Moreover, that morning she had attended a vital meeting regarding the invasion. It seems that everything was going smoothly. The Generals seemed more than eager to battle and their strategies appeared flawless. At least, in her eyes, and she wasn't that much of a war expert. The only thing left now, was for the King to sign the very paper that she was holding. Then, everything would be ready for them to attack on the day of the Black Sun and put an end to the misery that the Fire Nation had put all of them through.  
" A cup of tea before we get back to the King?'' Katara proposed goofily to Momo who was sitting carefree on her shoulder.  
And just when she was about to enter the tea shop, she saw him.  
Pure shock and perhaps terror took over her whole body, causing her to still and gap like a coy fish in the middle of the crowded street.  
He was inside the shop, serving tea to some customers… smiling. He seemed changed (she had never seen him smiling before) but that wasn't the only thing that was different about him. He seemed… peaceful.  
But that wasn't enough to fool her. What was he doing here? What is he planning? How did he get into the city? Just why when they think that they are safe from him and his psycho sister he always… finds them? Katara didn't have the time to answer all of these questions, she had to go back to the palace and inform everyone that the Prince of the Fire Nation was here, in the city. "Thank Spirits that the others are not here" she thought. And she really meant that. Although, Zuko had proven himself to be quite cunning and skilled opponent, she firstly cared for her friends. Either way, she could take care of the spoiled brat herself! She owned him since their fight in the North Pole.  
"Just you wait, Zuko."


	2. The Feeling Of Weakness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender nor the charactes!I will never be too cool to do so! Enjoy!  
>  And yes, this chapter's action scene oretty much sucks, since all I care about in this story is the "Zutara" part. I am shameless. HOWEVER, this story is not a PWP!!!Reviews please!!!

She made it to the palace just a few minutes later. A thick coat of sweat covering her forehead, but it was the last thing that she could really care for. When she entered the main hall, Katara came across with three familiar figures. It took her a few seconds to realize that these three slim feminine figures belonged to their long no seen allies. The Kyoshi warriors. For mere seconds, her panic was overtaken by relief. Though, that very relief didn't allow her to face reality. When she asked them desperately for help, the middle one turned around, now fully shown to her to answer. That was when panic took her over again. This time though, it was not just panic, but terror.  
Everything that happened from then on was something that she wouldn't be able to describe for the next whole week. It was one of these things that happen in a few seconds, but when you summon it up it seems like an eternity. When the fake Kyoshi warriors started attacking her, she decided that fighting them alone would be a futile and desperate action. So she ran. That was the only thing that terror allowed her body to do. Her eye caught the flying knives that belonged to the tallest of them and she automatically moved her wrist to freeze them on air with the bending water in her waterskin. Then, the chi blocking girl tried to reach her with a single leap, but she was fast enough to freeze her feet on the ground. There was only one left now.  
Katara knew that fighting Azula alone by herself would be a waste of time and a definite suicide. Although, she usually considered running away a shameful way of ending a battle, terror had numbed and taken over her mind, leaving her without the luxury of deciding herself. In any other similar situation, she would never forgive herself for being so scared, running away like a weakling. But this time was different. She could feel it in her skin. This time, it would not be just a battle with a bad ending, but a battle with her, possible losing her life. She never had that feeling before. Not even when she was fighting Zuko in the North Pole. Azula, was a completely different case. The chase leaded them just outside the palace gates. She could see the Upper Ring standing proud in front of her. Katara could feel the vivid flames licking her back. It was like a snake trying to embrace her into a deadly hug. She raised her speed, but that wouldn't be enough.  
When the next wave of heat was reaching out to her, she counted each second and threw all the water she could find at her disposal to it. A huge cloud of steam and dust spread all over the supposed battle field. She could not see her enemy nor be seen by her. That was all she was betting on. Thanks to the adrenaline that was still flowing inside her, she was able to run fast, not feeling exhausted yet. She entered the Upper Ring with such fury, that anyone who saw her certainly considered her crazy. She wanted to scream, yell at them, all these arrogant faces looking at her with such dismay. They didn't know what was about to happen to them, to their city. What was happening inside the city's palace must have bothered them less than what they were going to eat for their lunch. Katara knew that even if she tried telling them about everything she faced in that palace, nobody would believe her. Judging by her appearance, her dusty clothes, her extremely messy hair and swollen eyes, they would think that she was… well… crazy. She didn't know where to go. She was just running, running like a maniac. Sometimes she would turn her head to check if Azula had followed her. She couldn't even recognize where she was anymore. Finally, Katara stopped running. She tried to catch her breathing, realize where she exactly is, and then find a plan.  
"A plan about what? Escaping the city? No! The others don't know yet that the Fire Nation Royal family is having a reunion in Bang Sing Se! I have to warn them first. But how?" Although, she was genuinely concerned about these things, it was time for the exhaustion that was building up in her these last twenty minutes (that's how much everything really lasted) to take over, starting by her body. Katara felt her legs just not able to hold her weigh anymore. She felt her whole body melting into the hot sun of Bah Sing Se. So she silently and with no further struggle obeyed to the feeling. That feeling of letting go of yourself and giving up. She fell to the ground with a small sound and felt her head bumping onto something. But she didn't care, for everything was too black to seem real anymore.  
...  
She opened her eyes slowly, reluctantly. She couldn't recognize her surroundings. Her head was still in unbearable pain. She tried to get up, but the pain drawn her back to the mat, her fall on it intensifying the feeling in every fiber of her body. She wimped and decided that it was too early for another attempt to get up. She started observing the place around her. The room where she was lying seemed nice and cozy, with a little furniture but well cleaned and organized. It was classic Earth Kingdom style. Moreover, something smelled beautiful. Was it jasmine? Katara heard footsteps coming from her left, tried to turn her head to see but she felt like someone had stabbed her from behind.

\- Easy now. We don't want to hurt yourself more. Just try to relax for a little. I am preparing you some tea. You do like jasmine tea right?  
The voice was familiar, although not so much for her to recognize the person who owned it immediately. She felt secure, able to trust it though. She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out, instead she slowly nodded.

\- Very well. I am going to serve you in just a minute. Let's just hope that my nephew won't be back by that time. He will be quiet... surprised to see you here.  
His nephew? Who was that man? Katara tried to turn her head to see but all she could see was a blurry figure leaving the room, probably heading to the kitchen. She signed, realizing that there was not much she could do in her condition. A few seconds later, the man returned with a cap of tea on his hands. He brought it in front of her face so that she could smell it. He was right, even the smell of jasmine made her feel more relaxed.

\- Come on. I will help you get up. It is going to hurt a little, but I know that a brave girl like you can take the pain.  
The man took her hands and helped her rise to a sitting position. She groaned softly, but finally she was able to move. Katara took the cup into her hands and took a little ship. The liquid was still too hot and burned her lips. But she didn't complain. She turned to thank the man and that's when she realized who the nephew he was talking about was.


	3. An Interesting Turn Of Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I do not own the Avatar:the Last Aibender series nor the characters.  
> So... this chapter is considerably bigger than the other 2. I will try to update soon, but my semester exams may have an different oppinion...

The jasmine tea was apparently a lot more beneficial than she first thought. In the beginning, Katara briefly hesitated and let her index finger awkwardly circle the hot cup. When she realized that her host had risked a lot even by bringing her in his house, she decided that it was more than rude to deny his offer.  
The tea soothed and helped her somehow forget the fact that she was being helped by her archenemy's uncle. (Well, with this HUGE turn of events though, Katara doubted that Zuko was still/ever their archenemy. In reality Ozai was their archenemy, but then Zuko appeared and soon after here comes Azula with her creepy friends and it was really hard to decide who was the craziest/ more dangerous).  
After drinking it, Iroh asked if she wanted some water to heal herself. At first she looked at him with evident surprise, but eventually nodded. The man smiled at her and brought her a bowl full of water. Katara dipped her hands in it and started healing her head.  
"It is indeed, one of the most beautiful things and miracles that a man sees, the power of healing."  
Iroh told her, noticeably stunned by her display. Katara remembered the admiration she had earned from Jeong Jeong the very first time she had healed herself in front of him. Perhaps firebenders were quite jealous of this amazing ability. Fire was a destructive element, after all.

"Thank you, she finally said to him. For everything."

"There is no need my dear. I know that you would have done the same thing for me."  
Then the image of him lying down unconscious on the ground after their fight with Zuko's sister came immediately to her mind. Her futile tries to convince his nephew that she wished no harm and that she genuinely wanted to heal him.

"Do you feel any better now? » He asked her, voice full of concern.

"Yes. Thank you, again. I feel much better."

"That's good news. Now, l will let you sleep. Although, I do not dare to doubt your healing abilities, you surely had a rough day."  
He said while standing up to exit the room.

"But… what about… him? Your nephew, I mean."  
For reasons unclear even to herself, she didn't dare to say his name.

"Well… he will have to sleep in the couch tonight"  
He told her indifferently with a small smile on his face.

"You know that's not what I mean. I am sure that he won't be… happy to see me." (Well, that's a gentle thing to say. Sounds better than HE IS GOING TO BURN ME ALIVE AND ENJOY IT).  
Iroh seemed skeptical about what she said, but not for long.

"I am sure he will understand. Besides, it's his sister that caused you this trouble. He owes you that much."

"How... How do you know it was her? I didn't say anything…"

"I assumed so."  
Katara simply nodded, not certain if she believed him. She was too tired to object anyway and the mattress she was sitting on seemed so inviting to her exhausted body.

"Besides, Azula is quite talented when it comes to… finding people she needs."  
"I guess it's a family thing then" was the first thing that came to Katara's mind, but she didn't dare to say it. She might be many things, but not ungrateful nor impolite.

"So… I don't understand. Why are you helping me? You could have just given me to Azula."

"There is no need to worry yourself about things that didn't and won't happen. Right now you just need to rest. We can talk about it when you wake up. Besides, I have to prepare our dinner! I believe Zuko will take the news of our new guest better with a full stomach!"  
His optimistic words made Katara smile faintly. It was a weird thing, but she hadn't felt threaten at all, not for a second. She acknowledged that something was off about the whole situation she was caught up to (a firebender lets her be his guest and helps her heal her wounds that his niece herself caused her: that's a lot to digest).  
But she wouldn't think through of this whole parody. She lied down, closed her eyes, and fell asleep not many minutes after. After all, she would have to face a very disappointed and prickly nephew.  
…...

 

A few minutes, no hours later, someone slammed the door a bit more forcefully than needed and the walls of the apartment squeaked. There was a murmured "Sorry". Katara snapped her eyes open in alert. She didn't move. There was some talking in the next room.

"Good to be home nephew. Safe and sound. I am so glad nothing happened to you."  
Iroh's voice was genuinely kind, and at the same time full of relief. It was natural, after all. Azula might have as well found Zuko and… well, Spirits only know what would happen then.

"I hadn't been way for that long Uncle. You really need to stop worrying so much."

Katara immediately recognized the owner of this new raspy voice. They started talking about petty things. Zuko said quiet in disdain that he couldn't find this new tea blend that Iroh had sent him to fetch from their supplier (Katara was pretty sure that this blend didn't even exist and it was just an excuse for Iroh to send Zuko away for a few hours). She was glad that Zuko didn't notice her presence in the apartment, but that wasn't going to last for too long.  
Katara checked the room for a window. She was going to leave before he knew she was even there. She wanted to thank the man, once again for his help but circumstances weren't exactly favorable. Luckily, there was a window not too far from her mat. She didn't know, however, on which floor the apartment was but she had to risk. Slowly, trying not to make any sounds she removed the sheets from her body and got up. The cool night air embraced her, a temptation to return to the soft mattress. She scolded herself for her naivety and got up.  
The pain in her head stung her again, but she ignored it. She was going to be in much more pain if Zuko found out that she had been sleeping in his own bed. She started walking on her toes trying not to make the floor squeak. She was a couple of steps before the window until…

"What was that?"

The voice from the other room had stopped because of a sudden noise coming from the bedroom.  
Katara had stepped on the bowl of water that Iroh had previously brought her to heal herself. She felt the water encircling her foot, a smooth yet quite cold touch on her toes. That's when she realized what she had done. Katara froze on the exact moment. Her breathing stopped, as she was hoping from the depths of her being that Iroh would find a way to distract his nephew from the room for a few more seconds.

"Oh, about that. Well, there is something I have been meaning to tell you my dearest nephew. First of all, you know how much I love and care for you since…"

"Uncle. Who is it? "  
He asked impatiently, almost angrily. No. Angrily it was. It seems that Zuko doesn't like surprises.  
Footsteps approaching her room, Katara slowly turned to see the surprised and furious face of the banished prince who had made her and her friends' life difficult since the day they met him. Their eyes locked to each other for a brief moment, both more than surprised to see the other. Zuko had definitely changed until the last time they saw him. But, she didn't exactly have the luxury of time to observe him in more detail, since the next moments were a blurry mixture of insults, tantrums and of course… bending.

"You? What are you doing here?"  
He growled and smoke started coming out of his fists.  
Katara's mind was spinning inside her head both because of her injuries and the newly emerged agony. Her first and intuitive thought after all this months of him chasing them was to shove a nice big ice dagger right to his throat. However, she had to remind herself that for the moment she was just his and his uncle's "guest". So she decided to restrain her built up rage and go for a more… civil approach.

"Zuko... let me explain!"  
She gestured her hands in a way that she hoped would be interpreted as "I am not here to fight with you so please calm down". Zuko didn't even seem to care about what she had to say. She was the embodiment of his past sins, a living memory of his past failures. A threat to his present peace. He didn't even know her name, but he hated her not only for the things she did to him. Because, honestly they were nothing compared to what he did (and would do) to her and her friends. No, Zuko hated this girl with so much passion mostly because of the memories that she was unconsciously and automatically attached to. His mind wouldn't let him accept her presence here, in the same room with him, just like an organism wouldn't accept a foreign body. She would have to be thrown out.

"What is she doing here?"  
This question was probably for his uncle, who was now sitting by door watching the two of them with an unreadable face. He didn't answer either way.

"Get out of here now water peasant!"  
He yelled at her, this time a fireball accompanied his words.  
Katara barely dodged it. "Forget it! Forget about being friendly and civil". She bended the water from the floor, shaped it in a sharp ice dagger and threw it directly to him, aiming for his head.

"Don't ever call me that ever again!"  
Zuko's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly avoided the undeniably fatal hit. He stretched his arm and prepared to retaliate.

"You are going to regret coming here. I know he is here too. Don't try to deny it. I saw him!"  
Katara didn't even have to think about whom he was talking. He knew that Aang had been in the city too.  
This time the amount of fire shooting from him was much bigger, and the spilt water would merely do anything. With all her force and weight she fell hard on the floor, her whole body aching, a living proof of her previous fight with his lunatic sister. She was facing the floor, nose touching the damp wooden surface, her arms were covering her neck and head and she was prepared to feel the unbearable heat on her skin, just like a few hours ago. However, she did not feel anything. She slowly raised her head from the floor and saw Iroh holding his nephew's hand, who was now breathing out heavily, his eyes attesting his own surprise. What was happening?

"Zuko, I will not allow this kind of behavior in my house. Our house. It is a shameful and cruel act to attack someone injured. Especially, if that someone is our guest!"  
Iroh was peering Zuko with a calm look on his face.

"Uncle… you can not be serious! She is a friend of the Avatar! She is one of the reasons I am stuck in this place!"  
Zuko's voice was something between a desperate cry and a decisive yell searching for understanding.

"I will not allow her to stay another minute here!"  
Alive. He added to himself.

"Well, fortunately, it is not your decision solely. I am the owner of this house too. This girl has been heavily injured by your sister, your own blood. Now she doesn't have any place to go. We must let her stay here, Zuko. That we owe her for sure."  
Iroh was talking to him with such serenity and yet the firmness in his words was crystal clear.

"My sister?"  
He said those words as if their meaning was unknown to him. He repeated them again, mechanically, and this time he fully realized that peace was a dream that only fools could believe in.

"Azula is here too?"  
He said this so softly, almost like a whisper. As if calling his sister name would make her appear out of nowhere in front of them. Iroh didn't answer, he just looked at his nephew with a sad, almost apologetic face and that was enough for Zuko to understand. He opened his mouth to say something, but words wouldn't come out. Silence felt heavily into the small apartment in the Upper Ring of Ba Sing Se. Three people were staring at the floor, with completely blank expressions on their faces for completely different reasons. Iroh was the first to speak.

\- Now… this is no time for further explanations and arguments. We have an injured guest to take care…

"Look… I am going to be just fine." Katara politely interrupted him, a shy smile on her lips. She didn't even glance at Zuko. "I can heal myself, remember? Thanks for your help, but I am now going to leave…"

"And where will you go my dear?" H e asked raising a brow to her.

"Back to the palace? Now that Azula is head of the Dai Li, the whole city is dangerous. Besides, your friends, perhaps for the better, are not here now…"

"What? How do you know?"  
Zuko practically asked the question Katara was about to ask, but she decided to show no emotion or indication to the former General's claim.

"Well, she was fighting Azula on her own, and when I found her, she was all by herself, unconscious. The Avatar would never allow this."  
He was right. Aang would never allow this. They were a team after all. They would never let anyone fight on his own. Especially, if it was about fighting Azula. It was time to change her strategy.

"Yes, it is true. My friends are not currently in Ba Sing Se and I have nowhere to go. This doesn't mean, though that I will become a burden to…"

 

"A burden? No, my dear child. There is no way you would become a burden! On the contrary, once this storm eventually calms down I can hire you to my tea shop! Imagine how useful a waterbender can be for this kind of job! Besides, how can the presence of a delightful young woman be a burden…?"

"You are not seriously meaning any of this right? You can't let her work in the tea shop or let her stay in the house! She is the enemy and she is probably going to try to give us to Azula!"  
Zuko was starting to lose his composed demeanor… again. He knew his uncle could be a little... Paradoxical from times to times, but this… this was completely crazy. He could not absolutely let that water wrench rest in the same place with them, as a constant reminder of their history. A constant reminder of his failure.

"I was never going to do something like that!" now it was time for Katara to lose her cool temper.

"Your uncle helped me! I would never betray someone who offered his help for me like that. It is completely honor less."  
Her words had found their aim perfectly. Oh, what a satisfaction! Zuko's eyes narrowed and if eyes could kill… Katara would be now roasted.

"However", she turned to his uncle smiling; "I cannot accept your kind offer. I must find a way to inform my friends. I don't want them to return and get caught by Azula."  
The thought made her heart tighten. She had to find a way to tell them. Besides, she could not bear to stay in the same room with Zuko for another minute, let alone sharing the same workplace or even worse, house with him.

"There is no need for that. I am sure the news of the Fire princess being in the city have already been spread. As for your plan. I don't think returning to the palace or even roaming in the city for a few days is safe. I am sorry to tell you this, but it seems that you will have to tolerate me and my nephew for a few days."  
Iroh told her, smiling so widely that Katara thought that his face might split.

"If she stays here, then I am leaving!"

"Well, you don't have to, since I am leaving first!"

"No one is leaving from this house!" Iroh interrupted, raising his voice just a little, but that was enough to make both of the teenagers shut it.

"You, my dear should know better, that now that the King's General are captured there is no one in the city to protect you. The King himself is going to leave the city."

"I can find my friends and leave with them." Katara retorted.  
The former General was looking at her with clear pity written in eyes. This girl didn't seem stupid not to understand the whole situation, and that could only mean that she was still so eager to risk her life for her friends. Should Iroh consider her brave or was it just the overconfident spirit of youth that had taken over her?

"Not the best idea, since the Dai Li is probably going to stalk you from now on."  
Iroh whispered as if he was cautious of someone already stalking them.

"What do you mean? "  
Katara asked with much more curiosity.

"This isn't about you. Not even about Zuko or myself. Azula knows that you are the only way for her to capture the Avatar, and that's what is more important now. For the time being, she is going to ignore my nephew and me and focus on you and your friend. "

"So she is after me? Is that what you are telling me? Oh what a surprise!"

"But I still cannot tell if she is planning on… harming you?" Iroh muttered reluctantly.

"She won't."  
Both Katara and Iroh locked their gazes to Zuko.

"She won't take such a risk. Avatar or not, Azula cannot tell whether he will come to rescue you. She wants you alive. Even capturing you is risky."  
He added in an usually calm tone for him, crossing his arms on his chest.

"That's nonsense! Aang would never leave me here. Especially, now that your sister is here too." Katara retorted shocked and kind of offended.

"Perhaps, that is for the best though. Think about, if the Avatar decides to return he is… probably going to be captured by Azula."  
Definitely, Zuko added to himself.  
Katara stayed in silence for a while, thinking through the whole situation. Both Iroh and Zuko were staring , waiting her to say something.

"So what do you propose? Should I stay here and wait for…. Something to happen?"  
Zuko was about to oppose to her suggestion, but Iroh was quick to answer with an unsuitable for the greatness of the situation smile.

"It would be a clever idea. Azula is never going to suspect that you will be hiding here! And even if she finds out, I don't think that she is going to act. Not now, of course. She will try to keep things as balanced as possible."  
Balanced huh? Katara thought to herself and almost burst out laughing from the irony. Azula had invaded Ba Sing Se, dethroned the Earth King and was currently the head ruler of the Dai Li. And just by capturing her she would make things unbalanced?

"So, all things settled, I am now going to prepare your room dear!"  
Iroh said in a singing voice, opened a draw that was probably used for storing their bed sheets and starting selecting a few pieces.

"You are going to sleep in Zuko's room, of course since we don't have a room especially for guests but this will do, right? I am sure my kind and most hospitable nephew will not have a problem sleeping on the couch!"  
Zuko opened his mouth to protest but realized it wouldn't end up anywhere. Instead he narrowed his eyes and looked at Katara, who was now trying too hard to ignore him and not stick her tongue out in pure enjoyment of his displeasure.  
Iroh left the room in order to bring Katara a new bowl of water, leaving the two teenagers alone. There was an awkward slice in the room. Katara was staring at the floor like there was something written on it, still musing if she was actually making the right choice. Her visual field caught Zuko glancing at her a few times, but she ignored him. So there she was, about to live with one of her worst enemies under the same roof. Great. And was she supposed to inform the others about what happened or her whereabouts? She had to find a way immediately.  
Katara was too focused on her thoughts to notice that Zuko had left his previous position and was now a few inches away from her. He gasped her shoulders and shook her not so lightly in order to get her attention. Katara gasped in surprised and tried to shove him away but he grabbed her arm and squeezed it too tightly. Too painfully. A small whimper tried to escape her weathered body, but her pride held it in. Zuko pulled her closer to him, throwing her off balance. His mouth was now a few inches away from her ear.

"I don't know what you are trying to gain from this, and I am not sure I want to find out. (That's a lie).Tomorrow morning, I want you out of here. And I promise you if I ever see you again… lets just say that you are going to regret not getting captured by my sister. "  
His voice was low. He was not yelling anymore. But it sounded more… threatening. It made her shiver and want to take a few steps away from him, but she wouldn't show him any sign of weakness.

"Don't touch me!"  
With one abrupt move of her hand, she managed to get free of his hold.

"You think I wanted all of this to happen. Besides, who is planning what? You are the one who is stalking us all this time! And just when we thought we would never see you again, here you are, pretending to be a normal teenager serving tea to innocent EarthKingdom civilians!"

"What I do is none of your concern!"

"It is when you are trying to harm me or my friends!"

"I am not that person anymore, ok? Before this day, I was trying to adjust living here as a normal guy. And here you are; destroying every little possibility of me achieving it!"

"Pff! Accusing others of your faults! What to expect from a Fire Nation Prince."

"Excuse me, but do I look like a Prince to you right now?"  
His own statement made him pity himself even more. His previous title seemed unreal to him now, but the acceptance of its loss was even harder.  
Katara's eyes widened and locked on him with obvious curiosity. Yes, it was true that the teenage boy that was standing in front of her seemed nothing like the arrogant Prince that was chasing them all over the world. His hair was longer, messier (and more normal she may add) and covered half of his forehead. Katara could detect soft darkness under his good eye. His clothes were the greatest change though. Seeing him out of his armor would be enough to fool anyone who saw him for the first time. He was dressed like an ordinary Earth Kindgom citizen.

"My father" he continued "thinks I am a traitor to my Nation, after what happened in North Pole. A failure. He sent my sister to bring me back. As a prisoner this time. My uncle and I came to Ba Sing Se as refugees. We opened this tea shop hoping that we could live peacefully among the citizens."  
There was an unbearably thick pause. None of them knew who should talk next. Katara opened her mouth to say something, anything really, but Zuko was the one that broke the silence first.

"When I found out you were here too… I didn't know what I should do. I thought I would…. Chase you again. But I didn't. I don't know for sure why. I just didn't have the courage to do so. And now Azula is here too!" He said softly. His hand was lightly rubbing the bridge of his nose, a habit when forcing himself to admit something that he was quite ashamed or nervous about.

"I am so sorry. I didn't know..."  
For a moment, her anger started to melt and sympathy took over. His next words didn't help her maintain the feeling.

"I don't need your pity! Don't you understand you are destroying everything now! I want you out of this house! For good! You can stay here tonight only because of uncle, but tomorrow, I expect you understand it is best for you to leave."  
With that he let go of her and exited the room. Katara stood still for a few seconds, not sure if that alone was enough to make her leave this apartment immediately. However, reality stung her again, reminding that there was nowhere to go. She was alone. And to make things worse, she had to rely her safety on two people beyond any reliability. Furious with the way Fire Nation succeeded in ruining her life once again, Katara decided that for tonight, she had to call it truce with fate and sleep on Zuko's bed. The very thought took an alternate meaning in her head that made her scowl. At least his uncle had left her clean sheets to use.


	4. The Night Visitor

Chapter 4: The Night Visitor

The night was unusually silent in Bah Sing Se. Serenity was brought all over the city. The habitants of the Impenetranable city were now sleeping, unaware of the indefinite threat that was upon them. Maybe the fact that the city’s King was just a figure had help Azula immensely, since there wasn’t a single sign of an uproar.  
However, this so called serenity seemed to have taken over every house in the city except this one where the former Prince of the Fire Nation was now inhabiting. The latter was the only one in the very apartment still awake. Both his uncle and their recent guest were enjoying a careless sleep, as if none of the events of that day ever existed. As if none of the events of the last half year ever existed.  
When certain that everyone was asleep, Zuko got up from the uncomfortable couch that he was sleeping for the sake of his uncle new beloved guest. The cheap piece of furniture creaked under his movements, causing him to still. Assured that no one had been awaken; he took a few shy steps leading himself to his room. He could now peek into the room. It wasn’t too dark since the Waterbender chose to leave the window open for the night. 

“What an idiot! How will she be able to keep sleeping when the sun comes up? It is simple practicality.” The firebender thought.

Anyway, that wasn’t the reason had decided to slip into her room tonight. 

“Wait, it wasn’t her room, it is actually My room. Great.” 

Now that he clarified that to himself Zuko started scanning the room, his sole purpose to find what he was searching for in the beginning. Her bag. He noticed the waterbender carrying it with her the whole time when they were… arguing. Zuko couldn’t guess what she was hiding in there. Perhaps, a letter from the Avatar stating his current position? It was all a huge slip back, but he didn’t care. His curiosity had surpassed him and everything his new lifestyle stood for. His eyes were searching the room unstoppably, but didn’t seem to find their target.  
Then, as being magnetized, they stole a small, so terribly small glimpse of the sleeping girl, and finally rested on her as if she was providing them a break from their agonizing search. 

She was deeply sleeping, Zuko could tell. Her breathing was heavy, proving the fact that her body was indeed affected by the recent events. The waterbender was lying in almost a fetus position, her knees close to her stomach, both of her hands lightly holding the pillow.  
The only thing Zuko could hear was their breaths competing with each other. While Katara’s breathing was heavy, yet stable, proving the fact that her body was indeed affected by the recent events, Zuko’s was quiet erratic because of the fact that he was sneaking into a master waterbender’s room while she was sleeping. A girl’s room. Wait… it was his room, so it wasn’t exactly “sneaking” right?  
The sheets swished softly snapping Zuko out of his inner turmoil and, moving his attention to the sleeping girl.  
The white sheet was embracing her soft curves with excessive detail. Zuko had never been able to observe a woman’s body so thoroughly before. Exile and constant chase of a long disappeared boy were not exactly the best opportunities for him to start taking an interest in the other sex.  
And there was the sole girl he had seen for a very long time, sleeping without her usual leggings, the sheet just above her calves that had just started to shape and look more… well, feminine. His eyes traveled automatically up from her covered  
hips and small torso to her long neck. Zuko noticed that she was wearing the necklace that he had once used in order to find her (not her specifically, mainly her friend) even in her sleep. 

She looked so fragile and vulnerable in her sleep, unlike the feisty girl he knew Well…not exactly “knew”, since circumstances weren’t exactly favorable for that. Her long hair was not in her casual braid, lying free on the white pillow, looking like ink spilt on a clean piece of paper. Her lips were slightly parted as she was exhaling.  
The moonlight sneaking through her open window was illuminating her now peaceful facial features, making Zuko unconsciously gulp to the ethereal image. There was something about Waterbenders and the moon, just like Firebenders and the sun. It seemed that under the moonlight she was feeling safe, invisible. That could only explain the serenity of her sleep.  
Zuko caught himself smirking as he remembered their fight during the siege of the North Pole. How powerful and confident she fought him while the moon was hanging proudly on the night sky. How certain and gracious her moves were. 

But he was not there for that. He was searching for something. What was it that he was searching again? Oh, right, her bag. Her bag that was probably holding precious information about the Avatar. And what was he going to do with that information?  
Zuko covered his face with both of his hands and started furiously rubbing his eyes. This was not the right time to question his actions. He was in a room with an asleep waterbender- to be more precise, his enemy’s waterbending master- and if for Agni’s sake that girl woke up he would be in serious trouble.  
The inner turmoil of the young Firebender could not really be helped by the fact that the girl’s bag was… well, nowhere to be seen! She must have hidden it somewhere. Maybe it was inside the large wooden drawers that his Uncle uses to store their clean sheets. Zuko entered the room, walking on his toes trying to remember which parts of the wooden floor creaked more when you step on them. 

On one careless step, just a few inches away from the προαναφερθέντα drawers, the floor squeaked making Zuko freeze right on the spot. He looked down at the asleep Waterbender, a few steps away from him, who didn’t seem to be fret at all.  
Zuko thanked Agni with all his heart, only to get upset with himself right after for being so afraid (no, terrified it was) of waking up this girl. It was HIS room after all!  
He could have been there in order to get… well, something important.

“What the heck is wrong with me” he hissed before he could stop himself.

The girl suddenly stirred in her sleep, and Zuko covered his mouth with his hands and closed his eyes, waiting for her scream and a well formed ice dagger right on his throat.  
But nothing happened. She just changed her sleeping position, now lying on her back, her chest heaving with her every breath, giving Zuko the opportunity to glance at her round breasts that were covered by her tunic, the white sheet ruffled just below them.  
Zuko had to mentally slap himself a few times in order to get himself together again. Trying to rationalize the indecent thoughts that took over his mind, he promised himself that when this… whole thing was over he would start dating. It had to be the long time he lived in the ship and his utter focus on his so important goal to capture the Avatar the main sources of his unreasonable want to touch the girl, no, enemy that was lying asleep before him and probably do many more things besides that. 

“It must be because I am tired. That’s all!  
Or the fact that you are simply a depraved teenager.  
Shut up!”

With all that Zuko focused on finding what he originally came for. Her bag. Her where-the-fuck-could-it-be bag.  
At first, he thought that it was going to be such an easy task, since she came into their house so exhausted. She must have thrown it somewhere carelessly so that she could just go to sleep. Zuko opened as much quietly as he could every single drawer of the room, each time repeating the same prayer to Agni hoping that she won’t wake up. He checked under the small table that was near the open window and inside the big ruby red vase that his Uncle had bought at a what himself thought was a crazy deal at the flea market (why would you buy a huge stupid vase when you can’t even afford your house’s basic furniture? Just why Uncle?)  
He even checked her pile of folded clothes. 

“Did I imagined her carrying a bag? Am I really this desperate? But all girls carry bags with them right? No? And even if she was indeed carrying a bag what tells me that this bag is holding some important information about the Avatar? And am I supposed to care about the Avatar? What am I doing in my life?”

“Who’s there?” 

Zuko almost screamed when he heard the waterbender’s voice behind. He stilled right where he was and closed his eyes shut with so much pressure it almost hurt.

“She is waking up” he thought “and she is going to be so pissed and she is going to think I am a pervert or if I am lucky she is just going to think that I came here to kill her in her sleep. What do I do now? What do I say? Hey, I just came here to search your stuff? No, no, no. that’s a definite suicide. “

“Aang, is that you?”

Aang? Who the hell is… oh! Great…  
Zuko slowly turned to face her with all the courage he could muster. She had slightly popped her head up from the pillow and was staring at his direction, eyes half closed still dazed from sleep. She wasn’t fully awake.  
Zuko didn’t have exactly the luxury of time in his favor so he went for the absolute craziest thing he could do.

“Yes. It’s me… Sorry if I woke you up. You can go back to sleep now.”

And with that he almost started running towards the doors ignoring the fact that he was making much more noise than before and that he could also wake his Unlce up.

“Wait.”

Oh. No.

“Tell Sokka to stop snorting. Otherwise, no breakfast for any of you tomorrow.”

Zuko nodded like she was saying the most logical thing in the world and whispered her “Okay”.  
And with all that, he exited his bedroom and started breathing again.

“No more night sneaking. Ever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry for the late upload! I just came back to my parents house since University is over for me this year!(YAYYYY!) At least now I will be able to upload much more often now!Hope you enjoy this chapters!Reviews are always more than welcome :-)
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own Avatar: The Last Airbender!


	5. Duties

Disclaimer: Atla is not mine. Nor its caracters.

 

Chapter 5

 

Early in the next morning, they woke up and started getting ready for work. Katara was still in noticeable pain, but chose to ignore it. She didn't want to be considered as ungrateful by the others -Zuko- and helping Iroh with his tea shop was the least she could do to repay him. Needless to say that the moody firebender didn't even bother to acknowledge her existence since the time they woke up. Katara was honestly fine with that.

So while Katara was getting ready for work, Zuko and Iroh were already eating their breakfast in complete silence. Iroh once commented on how much warmer the weather had gotten since yesterday, with Zuko agreeing with a simple "hm" to that. Other than that, these two didn't exchange another word. That was an undeniable surprise to Katara, since she was quite sure that the first thing Zuko was going to do this morning would be trying to convince his uncle to kick her out of the house.

The waterbender had already bathed, gotten dressed, brushed her hair and tied it into her usual braid by the time she entered the small kitchen. The two firebenders were sipping their tea quietly. Iroh smiled at her and wished her good morning when Zuko didn't even glance at her way. Not that she cared, anyway. She was really excited and overeager to prove to her hosts that she was more than a helpless little girl in a huge city. However, it seemed that the former Fire Nation General had other plans for her.

"I'm sorry if we woke you up. You can go back to sleep though, since Zuko and I are about to leave."

"It's not a problem! Either way, I had to wake up early to get ready."

"Get ready for what my dear?"

"For work?"

The man laughed politely at her.

"Although I appreciate your strong sense of responsibility and gratitude, I do not think that working in a teashop while being chased by the Fire Nation Princess is a wise choice"

"But I can't just sit here and do nothing!" Katara protested. "I have to repay you somehow…"

"My dear don't be silly! You don't owe us anything! For now your top priority is to rest and get well soon."

Katara slightly frowned at his words. It wasn't that she was completely healed or that she really liked to get up early when she could snuggle the whole morning. She genuinely wanted to be of any use to the former General for all the kindness and hospitality he had shown her until now. And although, she did not want to admit it to herself, but from the looks of the situation, she would probably have to avail herself of the before said hospitality a little longer.

"In fact, now that I think about it" Iroh addressed her suddenly "There is something you can do…"

"Yeah? What is that?" Katara asked eagerly.

"Well, let's say that now that you are here… it's a perfect opportunity to hang out with my nephew!"

Katara's eyes widened and suddenly her eagerness to help her kind host vanished into thin air.

"WHAT?"

Zuko let his teacup fall from his hands as he and Katara snapped in unison at the old General's words.

Katara noted Iroh's horrified face by the time the teacup fell to the floor. It didn't break but all the tea was spilt.

"Oh nephew! Don't be so rude to our guest! And to your tea! Besides, we are not enemies anymore! Think of it as a great occasion for a new young friendship to blossom!"

"What do you mean we are not enemies anymore?" Zuko retorted furiously. "Of course we are!"

It was now time for Katara to step into the conversation and she wouldn't miss any chance on provoking the ex Fire nation prince, since it was the only thing left for her to feel just a little self-satisfied.

"Is that because you just can't treat other people any other way?"

Her smirk was not missed by Zuko. That ungrateful water peasant was really starting to cross the line. At first, Zuko had had thought that ignoring her would be the best idea on order to avoid any clash with her and Iroh of course, but patience wasn't really one of his virtues. Especially, when it came to ungrateful water peasants.

"If I wanted to treat you any other way, trust me, I would."

The fact that he said that in such a calm and serious tone was what infuriated Katara even more. But two can play this game and she would not retreat first from this argument. Or any other argument she was would have with him.

"Is that so?" Her demeanor was equally calm with his, but her voice could freeze every falling drop of the wildest storm. Zuko saw the change in her and could only predict what her next words would be.

"Am I not god enough to be friends with his Majesty?"

And… he was right. She had hit that spot again. That spot she knew that it hurt him so much. Fuck being calm! She had to shut her mouth or he could shut it for her in a much more painful way.

"Stop that!" Zuko hit the low table and was now shouting. Katara didn't even flinch. Instead she kept her gaze steadily on his eyes, continuing with the same cold tone:

"You should stop ordering me around."

"Like I would ever want to be friends with the likes of you!" Zuko hissed standing up with his fists clenched on his sides.

"I wouldn't want to be friends with you first!" (Ok, that wasn't really mature Katara.)

"Now, now lets all calm down! Nephew, get ready because we are to open soon! Young lady, you should try to relax some more! You had a rough day. Don't forget your injuries"

Zuko mumbled something that neither Katara nor his uncle caught. Katara BETTED it was something about her being a lady. So she decided not to say a thing when he passed right next to her and whispered her poisonously so that his uncle would not hear:

"When we get back, I want you out of here"

..............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

The teashop was as usually full. Customers would arrive by the time Iroh and Zuko opened its doors and they would have to work non stop until nighttime. Iroh would –of course- brew the tea and Zuko would serve it to the customers without really socializing with them. However, his always friendly and kind uncle was there to balance his nephew's social disability. Their breaks were rare and some days even inexistent, but Zuko barely minded that. He was grateful for every hectic day of work was preventing him from thinking about how lost he actually was.

This day was not different from any other. Again, Iroh was brewing tea with his usual joy and Zuko was serving it to the customers trying to look as less grumpy as possible. They did not talk about Katara at all. Zuko tried to bring the subject up at some point, to state of course his utter displeasure on the fact that they were offering refuge to a friend of the Avatar, but Iroh was quick to cut him off.

So the two of them continued working as if this morning was not different than any other. As if there wasn't any injured waterbender hiding in their apartment upstairs from a crazy princess that would do who knows what in order to get her. Zuko could not stop thinking about how absurd his uncle's stubbornness in keeping this girl safe was.

But, the young firebender knew well that if his uncle considered something rightful, he would be quite adamant about it. And this case was not an exception. What bothered Zuko more though, was the fact that he hadn't had any success in finding the girl's bag last night.

Not only that, but he was almost caught. In her room. While she was asleep. Not fully dressed. Ironically, he was saved because she mistook him for the Avatar. He should have found this funny, but he didn't. Zuko was strangely more irritated by the fact that the waterbender returned back to her sleep peacefully, only because of the thought of the Avatar being the one to have awaken her. But of course, they were "best friends" after all. H was almost sure that the girl would be stupid enough to sacrifice herself in order to protect the boy and the others. It was if not anything but obvious by the way she would flinch every time his Uncle would mention his sister or how her eyes slightly widened when Zuko vaguely explained her what Azula possibly had in mind about using her as a bait in order to capture the airbender. She was certainly more than concerned about them. It was… it was weird to see someone being so protective and worried about someone else's safety.

But that didn't change the fact that the water peasant had to leave. Immediately. Zuko couldn't care less if she was captured by Azula by the time she would step out of his door. He just wanted her out. He knew that this situation would soon wear his ill patience.  
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  
Katara tried to do as much housework as she could, but it wasn't that the house was in a really bad condition. She had to admit that the two firebenders kept their space pretty tidy and clean. If it was Sokka and Aang, the apartment would look as if a tornado had taken place inside it – literally – with dirty socks all over the floor. Not to mention all the dirt Toph would have brought into the apartment as a way to "fell closer to her element". The Water Tribe girl smiled at the thought of her brother and friends. They've never been separated this long and she truly missed them, but it was definitely better that way. Katara knew that the knot in her stomach when she thought about how in danger they all were would be nothing compared to the pain she would feel if Aang and the others happened to encounter Azula.

Nevertheless, she wanted to be useful in some way. But definitely not in the way the General mentioned earlier.

Katara washed some dishes that were left in the sink from their breakfast and cleaned the table. There wasn't anything else to do really.

After examining her torn and partially burned clothes, she finally convinced herself that they wouldn't be fixed with mending and a good wash. She would have to use the spare Earth Kingdom clothes that Iroh had left for her so discretely that morning on the wooden chair in her room. Though Katara could acknowledge the fact that she couldn't keep walking around with damaged clothing, she hated to feel that she once again had to "take advantage" of her host's generosity. It was as if she was committing herself to them through an unknown bond. She did not know when or how she would repay them. She didn't even know whether repayment was something she should even worry about. They were enemies after all, since Zuko not so kindly reminded her.

Oh, how much she wanted to bend the hot water in his teacup inside his nostrils this morning, was even unhealthy. The only thing that stopped her was his poor uncle that was standing right next to her. It must be hard for someone so kind to have to tolerate such a… well, jerk.

The clothes were quite oversized for her, with the green sleeves hanging loosely below her palms and the baggy pants keep falling from her hips, so she had to tightly tie her blue sash around them . Katara didn't have to reflect that these were Zuko's close. It was rather obvious.

The weather was unbearably hot so the waterbender had to open all the windows of the little apartment before she lied on her matt, facing the plain wooden ceiling. She kept staring for a few minutes not thinking anything in particularly. Boredom combined with overwhelming heat can do that to you. She could hear the city's hustle from outside the street: Smallfolk complaining about how high the prices of the products in the market had gotten lately, merchants complaining about how low the prices of their products have gotten, children laughing or crying while playing and their mothers trying to comfort them. Everything seemed so abnormally normal that Katara almost forgot the fact that she, her friends and probably the whole city were in danger.

Her blue eyes widened in shock as she realized that she was the one that had to inform them. Their safety was depending on her and only her. How could she forget that? Katara placed her hand under her pillow and after checking the small room she pulled her bag out. It wasn't really a good place to hide it, but it was the only solution she had given her yesterday condition. Without another thought she opened the leathery bag and left a sign of relief when she saw what she was looking for. The paper, that she was caring all along with such devotion, signed by all the Earth Kingdom General, with the royal seal on it. The paper that would lead to the Fire Nation's defeat. The reason that she and her friends had gone through so much in order to achieve an alliance with the Earth Kingdom. But she couldn't do it alone. She couldn't define the result of this war all by herself.

Katara quickly got up from the matt and instantly felt her head SPIN. She was all sweaty and had a killer headache. Two facts that in the past would be a pretty reason for her to just have a warm bath and then go back to sleep. But these ideas didn't even cross her mind this time. This time the first thing she thought was to find just the slightest piece of paper and write down everything that happened the previous day. She didn't really know where to send it. She could think about it afterwards.

Using a spare blank scroll that she found on a desk inside probably Iroh's bedroom, she dipped the slim black brush into the ink and started describing in full detail her last couple days in Ba Sing Se.

...............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

Zuko hated being told what to do. Though he sometimes loved ordering other people, he actually hated when he was the one to be ordered around. But what Zuko hated even more, was the fact that a certain and terribly annoying and brash water Tribe girl was the reason that he was ordered around this time. So when his uncle asked him to go check if their new young friend needed anything upstairs, while Zuko was washing some teacups, at first, he retorted mustering all the patience he had that he most definitely wouldn't and that she wasn't their friend.

But then, his uncle did what he usually does when he wants to blackmail Zuko. The "totally immodest uncle's talk about women" is what Zuko calls it. So when Iroh started talking about how he managed to seduced a married woman while being undercover in an Earth Kingdom village not so many years ago, Zuko yelled indignantly to him with his hands covering his ears, that he would go upstairs if he just stopped talking.

Iroh smiled broadly at him and praised him for being such a good natured and obedient nephew. Zuko growled loudly at that, threw his apron on the floor just to intensify how angry he was – like Iroh would change his mind- and stomped away heading outside, where the stairs leading to their apartment's entrance were.  
.................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................  
Katara was almost finished writing all the unbelievable things that took place in Ba Sing Se these last two days, when suddenly the wooden door of the apartment creaked softly. The waterbender stilled. She didn't hear any steps approaching nor anything that could indicate that someone was indeed in the house. So, when she slowly turned her head and her eyes locked with two surprised if not furious amber orbs, she was the least to say startled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I'm sooo sorry for my late updates. My uni exams didn't really let me enjoy my summer. Oh well... next chapter is almost finished though, so that's a good thing. Also, in case anyone wonders why there are some -or too many?- grammar mistakes or misuse of vocabulary, well... you guessed right. English is not my maternal language. Thus, my grave mistakes. Sorry if they are so intolerable that you can not enjoy this fic. Though, you can review this and tell me if there is anything that went unnoticed with my not so strict editing.  
> Also, things are OBVIOUSLY going slowly in this story. I don't want to rush anything between these two, but I will also have to update more often in order to justify my opininion. Life is really unfair, isn't it?


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